SKYFALL AND BOSCHENDAL NOW PART OF STAGE 1
The news just keeps getting better for participants in the 2017 Liberty Winelands Encounter, which takes place on 21-23 April next year. The organisation this week announced significant changes to stage 1 which will see the stage for the first time incorporate the impressive single track at Boschendal Estate after coming down the equally legendary Skyfall single track on Bartiney Estate on Helshoogte.

Overall the vertical ascent on the stage will also come down significantly courtesy of some wonderful new route access the event has received over the prestigious L’Ormirans Estate.

Defending champion Chris Wolhuter and protégé Craig Boyes crushed their rivals on the second day of the Liberty Winelands MTB Encounter to build up a comfortable lead going into Sunday’s grand finale.

As they had done on the opening day, the Imbuko-Freewheel Cycology professional team set the pace for most of the way to win the 57km stage between Franschhoek and Kleine Valleij outside Wellington in 2:20:00.

They got the better of Altech-Autopage’s Colin Noel and Hanco Kachelhoffer, who finished a distant second in 2:28:42.

Defending champion Chris Wolhuter and new teammate Craig Boyes made an early break to race to a comfortable victory on the opening stage of the Liberty Winelands MTB Encounter on Friday.

Despite the relatively short ride of 54km between Coetzenburg in Stellenbosch and Le Franschhoek Hotel on the outskirts of Franschhoek, Wolhuter said there was plenty of climbing and it had not been an easy day in the saddle.

The 27-year-old Imbuko-Freewheel Cycology pro, who won alongside Jarred Haley last year, said he received excellent support from Boyes as they romped home in 2:26:34.

Chris Wolhuter and Jarryd Haley claimed all three stage wins en route to overall victory at the inaugural Liberty Winelands MTB Encounter in Wellington on Sunday.

The Altech Autopage duo took the debut honours in the 175km Western Cape race in a combined time of 8:13:41.

Flandria grand masters Eben Espach and Linus van Onselen finished second in the general classification in 8:58:29, with the SDK Legends pairing of Rikus Visser and Divan Koch rounding out the podium in 9:16:29.

Long-time cycling supporter Liberty has thrown its weight behind the Winelands MTB Encounter, a three-stage, five-star mountain bike race that starts in Stellenbosch on April 17.

The inaugural 175km race, which is presented by ASG and MTB Adventures, will see an exclusive field of just 100 two-person teams enjoying some of the country’s best mountain biking terrain around Franschhoek, Paarl and Wellington.